Chapter 76 [part 2] (1/2)

(3)

Lucia suddenly wanted to see Hugo and quickened her steps. Even if she couldn’t explain it to him, she wanted to share her joy with him.

‘That man will eventually die miserably like in the dream.’

Lucia’s steps slowed down.

‘…He may not die. The future is changing.’

It was around the time when their marriage was in its fifth year. The King had been keeping a silent watch over those who opposed him then he finally drew his sword. It was the beginning of the ordeal that was later known as the 100 days of blood.

At first, Count Matin tried his hardest to join the royalist party but when he failed to join the ranks, he dipped his feet in the opposing party. There was no way the cowardly Count Matin would have truly planned to revolt. He had neither the guts nor the ability. His intentions were just to ingratiate himself to those in power one way or another.

The opposing forces were also aware of Count Matin’s obvious intention. Their relationship was one where they used each other. In such a relationship, the weaker side had no choice but to be eaten up.

Count Matin got caught up in it as if he had actively participated and was unable to pull out. No one knew of Count Matin’s false accusations. From the King’s point of view, they were dregs that wouldn’t be missed even if they were eradicated together. And the people in power that the Count believed to be his backing had all just lost their necks.

The Matin family with its deep history was exterminated overnight. The Count was caught by the soldiers and beheaded without a proper trial. The members of the household were all taken away and not long after, they were sentenced to decapitation. A long while later, it was heard that the youngest son of the Count, Bruno, who was in the Academy had fled to another country to escape the fire.

As Lucia remembered her memories from the dream, her body trembled. The memory of the night when the soldiers came was fear in of itself. She had heard that the one that spearheaded the 100 days of blood at the time was the Duke of Taran.

‘If I was caught that night, perhaps I might have died at his hand.’

Lucia didn’t know if the Duke of Taran had led the soldiers on the night of the attack on the Count of Matin’s residence. She did not see him personally afterall. For her, that night had symbolized oppression and liberation. It was a night of horror, but Lucia had been able to obtain her freedom. She was able to return to being Lucia by abandoning Vivian, the Countess of Matin. The heavens had helped her. If not for that incident, Lucia would have spent her entire life in the dream, suffering until death as the Countess of Matin.

‘Forget it. Whether that man dies or not, it has nothing to do with me.’

She didn’t have to keep reminding herself of that trash. It was not worth it.

‘…Still, it would be nice if he died. Very miserably.’

Although Lucia didn’t want the innocent Countess and other household members to be embroiled in the conflict and die, her dark mind hoped for the Count’s death to happen like she saw in the dream.

“Duchess.”

As soon as she saw the man that was blocking her path with a bright smile, Lucia felt her irritation soar. This was the third unwelcome face in a row, first it was the Countess of Falcon, then the Count of Matin and now this one. This was why she hated parties with a lot of people. Unexpected things kept happening and she kept seeing people she didn’t want to see.

“Do you remember me? I greeted you the other day. I am Count David Ramis of Duke Ramis.”

Lucia only nodded her head with a stiff expression. David’s eyes did not see her uncomfortable expression. To him, she seemed to give him a shy nod as her radiance dazzled his eyes.

“In a humble measure, I have put Duchess’s beauty into a simple poem. Please, I would appreciate if you took a look at it.”

Since the day of the rose garden, David had always carried a love letter with him. After the fantastical first meeting of that day, David’s eyes always shimmered when he thought about her. He had found out her name which he was unable to hear from her beautiful voice that day.

Vivian. What a noble and beautiful name.

It was a name born for her. What can be said if she was married? If a man and a woman were sharing their heart, such perfunctory conditions could not obstruct them. Right now, he wasn’t greedy for much. He just wanted to get to know each other a little as he exchanged letters with the Duchess.